Carolyn Perry

Biography:

Current PositionSenior Vice President of the College and Dean of Faculty; prior to holding the position, Dr. Perry taught full-time at Westminster as Professor of English. The duties of the Senior VP and Dean are many and widely varied, especially given that Westminster is a small college. Dr. Perry's accomplishments include helping hire several outstanding faculty members; designing the first annual Undergraduate Scholars Forum; assisting with the design of the Churchill Institute and Center for Engaging the World, including the development of international initiatives for our students both on and off campus; helping strengthen the programs in the Learning Opportunities Center; helping to develop Westminster's first-ever program for online courses; and designing and teaching a seminar for transfer students. Most recently she served on the team that developed a proposal for taking Westminster College to Mesa, Arizona.

EducationDr. Perry earned a B.A. in English from the University of Missouri and her M.A. from the University of Nebraska. In 1990, she received her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, with a specialization in Victorian and Modern Literature.

BackgroundDr. Perry came to Westminster College in the fall of 1991 to teach English and to develop the Writing-Across-the-Curriculum program. After running the WAC program and directing the Writing Lab for five years, she began teaching full-time in the English Department. In addition to teaching English, she has served as the department chair, as the sponsor for Sigma Tau Delta (the English honorary society), as a supporter of the Women's and Gender Studies program and the Remley Women's Center, as a host for international students, and as an advocate for study abroad. She became the Interim Vice President and Dean in January 2008, VP and Dean in April 2009, and Senior Vice President in July 2012.

Scholarly/Professional HighlightsDr. Perry has edited three books--The Dolphin Reader, Southern Women's Writing, Colonial to Contemporary, and The History of Southern Women's Literature-and has presented numerous papers at academic conferences. In the past few years, she has won the Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Alpha Chi Teacher of the Year, and the Westminster Parents Association Teacher of the Year. In May of 2007, she took part in a faculty exchange with the University of Winchester in Winchester, England.

Personal InformationDr. Perry and her husband, Greg, have three daughters-Jessica, Emily, and Erin. They make their home in Jefferson City, Missouri, where they participate in a variety of activities with their church and the girls' schools. Dr. Perry's interests include reading, book clubs, hiking, and travel. The family also enjoys hosting Westminster students whenever possible.